DOL regulations

Retirement and financial security are issues that are not often discussed by the general news media and most politicians (except Progressives), but these are major events affecting people worldwide. In the U.S., here are some retirement-related news events worth noting: Concern over retirement security is a major concern for Americans.

A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) finds there is now “unprecedented wage stagnation” and despite a stronger economy with record low unemployment rates and a far-reaching and controversial tax cut, the average wages of American workers have not budged since the late-1970s when “the

With over $19 trillion under management and the largest political lobby in Washington, you would think the investment industry, comprised of global banks, investment firms, U.S. registered investment companies and the insurance industry, would have a vested interest in seeing that more Americans enjoy a financially comfortable retirement. But if

What happens when one of the nation’s largest financial services firms victimizes its own employees? Simple. It produces one of the fastest financial settlements in court history. In the case of Krystal M. Anderson and All Others vs. Principal Life Insurance Company, a lawsuit filed in the United States

It looks like the nation’s biggest banks cannot help preying on their own customers, large and small. The latest case involves the esoteric world of securities lending, which is used for short selling and for hedge funds and is an important means of eliminating “failed” transactions. In exchange, the lender

First they came for your healthcare. Next, they are coming for your pensions. Yes, it looks like the $3 trillion healthcare industry, as well as pensions in the U.S. are going to go through a major transformation. And, while the final form of the health care is yet to be

It certainly is no surprise that the Trump Administration has declared war on individual investors and will only make it more difficult for millions of Americans to have a financially secure retirement. For millions, there may be no retirement at all or certainly one which will have a lower quality

When a federal court judge ruled on Feb. 8, 2017 that the U.S. Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule must still stand despite furious protests from the financial services lobby, it did not mean individual investors would automatically be protected from errant financial rep who continue to sell products that are

What does $17 billion mean to you? If you are an American investor, you should take note since this is your money. If you are in the financial services industry, you should take note because it is the money you get from fees, expenses and rebates that unsuspecting investors pay

It seems the more it changes, the more it’s the same. Conflicts-of-interest and charging excessive fees seem to be part of the DNA of major banks (such as Deutschbank and its $10 billion money laundering scheme out of Russia and Wells Fargo), insurance companies and investment firms when it comes to selling

The financial sector which has the most contact with the investing public–the mutual fund industry–has largely evaded pressures to reform.

This is a serious omission since the $3 trillion mutual fund industry plays a critical role in determining the financial well-being of millions of Americans. The industry’s problems, ranging from conflicts of interest to lack of transparency, affect retirement planning and the ability to build secure financial futures for millions of investors.read more...